Dincht Day
by Niqsta
Summary: In a bid to redeem his seemingly inconsiderate lack of gift-giving, Zell grants each of his friends a Dincht Day coupon – a chance to spend a full day with Zell Dincht. While some apprehensively welcome the meagre gift, others are less than keen. Post-game. ZellxLibraryGirl, SquallxRinoa.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes**: Hello, Readers! For those unfamiliar with my works, this is a short story I came up with focusing on Zell as a central character - something I've never done on a large scale - I'm normally a Squinoa writer.  
>For those already familiar with my works, firstly, this isn't a long multi-chaptered story that will take the focus away from my other fics - those will still be updated alongside this new one. Secondly, my intention to write this was really down to having an idea, and executing it, in hopes of getting the frequent-update-ball rolling. As everyone is more than aware, my update scale has plummeted in the recent years.<p>

As I mentioned, this is a short story which is currently at eight chapters (not all chapters have been written, but each has an outline) and roughly around 4,000-5,000 words per chapter, with the exception of the first chapter, which stands at just under 1,500 words. Again, as I mentioned, my reason for this fic is to push myself to write/update regularly than to create a perfect story. So, if anyone doesn't enjoy this, I hope my other works will be more pleasing. ;)

**Disclaimer:** Story is based on characters from Final Fantasy VIII, which unfortunately, I do not own.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Dincht Day<strong>

In a bid to redeem his seemingly inconsiderate lack of gift-giving, Zell grants each of his friends a Dincht Day coupon – a chance to spend a full day with Zell Dincht. While some apprehensively welcome the meagre gift, others are less than keen.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter I<strong>

Zell Dincht was a simple man. A couple of hotdogs, a copy of Combat King, and a steaming cup of tea with two sugars and full fat milk was all it took to keep him happy. Sadly, not everyone was the same, and at times, Zell's rather humble gifts and gestures made his simplicity look simpleminded.

At Cid and Edea's vow renewal, Zell bought Cid a nose hair trimmer, a gift which was laughed off by a very tomato faced Headmaster, who then constantly eyed himself in anything reflective. For Edea, he gifted her with a bath set, which was a fine enough present had he not mentioned _'It'll remove the stale orphanage smell.' _Suffice to say, the Kramers were quite the self-conscious thereafter.

Of course, a star ranked SeeD needn't be gil-hungry, and Zell would often splash out on his friends during dinner, or contribute generous amounts to charities. So naturally, everyone knew Zell wasn't in the slightest way being offensive or frugal with his money . . .

. . . at least that's what they had thought until Balamb Garden's Victory Anniversary.

Squall, Quistis, Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie and Lily all sat around the dinner table, speculating thin manila envelopes that they had just been handed by the martial artist. Each envelop was identical in size and weight with the only difference being the name printed on the front.

"All right, you can open it." Zell watched as each of his friends curiously opened the gift, some hoping it was a cheque, others tickets to a concert. However, each displayed the same confused and unimpressed expression once they viewed the hand crafted coupon in their hands.

"Dincht Day coupon?" Rinoa uttered to herself. "What on earth is Dincht Day?"

"There's no such thing, Zell's just made it up," Quistis quickly quipped.

"Can I return this for something I can actually use?" Selphie moaned.

"Hold up, hold up, let me explain." Zell pulled a chair in front of him and sat down with his arms folded over the backrest. "This Dincht Day coupon is a free, and exclusive, one-of-a-kind offer to spend a whole day with yours truly." The blond pointed a thumb towards his chest, grinning at the expressionless faces that stared back at him.

"Are you serious?" Irvine asked. His face deadpanned.

"Well, don't all jump at once," Zell retorted. "C'mon, it's a full day to spend with me, doing whatever you guys want. We can head in to town and take a trip to Dollet, or go fishing in Obel Lake."

"Hm, yeah, actually I wouldn't mind that." Selphie chirped and Zell immediately smiled.

"In that case, Selphie, you can have my coupon." Squall flicked his coupon toward the brunette.

"I've got a ton of laundry I need help with," Quistis muttered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zell stood up, his arms held out as if to prevent anyone from moving. "These coupons are non-exchangeable, nor is this a way to get me to do your chores."

"Zell, you used my office supplies to make these measly coupons. I'm not sure about the others, but seeing you every day at Garden is enough, spending an entire day with you isn't something I look forward to. I'm out," Squall said rather brazenly.

"What? I thought you guys would love the gesture. I made them by hand because there's a lot more thought to it than printing some template off the internet."

"It's not just the coupon, Zell. I think given the fact that we've spent our hard-earned gil on your presents, hanging out with you – which we all ready do – isn't something that took a lot of thinking or effort," Irvine explained to the disheartened martial artist.

Zell's shoulders slumped in dejection. He couldn't believe his friends didn't want to spend time with him. Even Lily, his girlfriend, didn't look impressed.

"It's not that the thought isn't sweet, it's just that I was kinda hoping you'd get me those boots we saw in town," Lily confessed, baring a thin, disappointed smile.

"Are you sure we can't just swap these with some cafeteria coupons? I'd kill for a hotdog right now." Rinoa drooled.

"The Garden Festival's coming up, I'll use this coupon to get help with the backdrop, and Squall's one to complete the stage decorations," Selphie commented cheerily.

"If you're getting help with the Garden Festival committee, then I definitely want help with my laundry," Quistis remarked.

"Rinoa, I'll give you my coupon as payment for the fifty gil I owe you?" Irvine called out to the sorceress.

"Yeah right!"

Zell had had enough. He bent over the table and swiped each coupon out of his friends' hands. Looking at them all sternly, he took a deep breath, and then calmly sat back down.

"One ticket per friend, no exchanges allowed. And, regardless of whether you think this a shabby gift or not, this is my gift to you, so accept it. Besides, this is only part of my gift," Zell explained.

"Really!" Selphie erupted. "So we're getting legitimate presents after all?"

"If it's another coupon, you can exclude me." The sharpshooter waved away the thought.

"No, it's not another coupon," Zell bitterly spat back. "Don't you guys get it; this coupon allows you to do whatever you want with me."

The group of friends looked at each other in unease, Lily however, perked up.

Zell grimaced. "That came out wrong. I didn't mean it in _that_ way. I mean, if you want to take a trip out of Balamb, or play Triple Triad with General Caraway in Deling City because that's always a pleasure, I'll pay for all the expenses."

"Now, that I'm up for, er, minus the whole seeing my Dad bit," Rinoa said.

"I can take a trip to Trabia!" Selphie exclaimed.

"Would this include buying my boots?" Lily asked with a cheeky grin, to which Zell nodded in agreement.

The gang had seemed to warm to the gift, except for Squall who remained with arms folded, looking as unimpressed as ever. Zell began handing back the coupons, but hesitated once he got to Squall.

"If you want to stay in Garden, it's cool. I'll be your office errand boy, if you want."

Squall eyed the coupon with disinterest. Then he huffed and snatched it out of Zell's hand.

"I'm sure I can find some paper work for you to file. Then again, Cid did tell me the Training Centre is in need of a thorough clean after one of the T-Rexaur's had diarrhoea."

Zell gazed back at the commander in disgust. "Oh, great."

Squall's comment was a passing thought once he felt Lily's lips on his cheek. He turned to her and smiled.

"I have just the perfect, romantic night planned – er, after you buy me those boots." She winked.

"Don't worry, I'll personally squat down and place them on your feet, Cinderella." Zell chuckled.

And with that, the Balamb Garden inhabitants were merry again, somewhat. It wasn't the ideal present or gesture they had been hoping for, or expecting, but it was definitely from a very thoughtful and sincere intention.

As Zell looked at each one of his friends, now eagerly sharing their ideas for their personal Dincht Day, he smiled to himself.

Little did they know what each day had in store and the impact it would have on their futures.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

All was quiet in Squall's office. It was the most serene place he could be in Garden; no one was permitted entry without permission, the phone beeped only when his assistant was passing a very important call, and the triple glazed windows kept the noisy hustle and bustle of the second floor away.

He loved his office. More so than the shared dorm room he had with Rinoa, though he would never admit that to her; he was more than aware of her sorceress skills. It's not that he disliked her company; he wouldn't have asked her to move in if he didn't. But they were opposites and their living arrangement was proof of that. Squall liked space and lots of it. His idea of interior design was minimalistic and bare; a few seats, a coffee table, and an entertainment system. The wall would be painted completely white, with the furniture adding colour to the room.

Rinoa, on the other hand, filled up space until there was barely room to walk. She liked cushions, and lots of them. Photo frames, knick-knacks, ornaments, and lamps were dotted around the room on bookshelves, mantelpieces, and window ledges. If there was an empty square metre in the room, Rinoa would find a stool or bean bag to fill it.

Thus, such was the same with their social habits - Rinoa avoided silence if they were ever in the same room, and would fill it even if it was merely with the sound of her humming.

Squall liked to be able to hear the sound of his own breathing, to contemplate to himself and muse over daily events. Heck, in truth, at times he just liked being anti-social.

Unfortunately for Squall, his break away from human interference was short lived as Zell barged through his office doors, Squall's assistant in tow.

"SeeD Dincht!" the assistant yelled.

"I told you,_ I_ may not have an appointment with the Commander, but the_ Commander_ has one with _me_." Zell folded his arms over his chest and stared down at her.

"What's going on, Zell?" Squall asked his tone already irritable.

"What's going on — if you could kindly explain it to Miss Stationary-hogging over here — is you have an appointment with me, remember? You get to redeem your coupon," Zell answered with a wide grin.

"Not today." Squall dismissed his assistant and began packing a briefcase with files.

"What? Why not?" Zell moaned.

"Because I have somewhere to be today."

"Where?" Zell demanded in disbelief. Sure, he knew Squall was less than excited about his gift, but he honestly didn't think the Commander would actually cop-out of it. Had Squall only agreed to accept the coupon because he knew he'd have a way to get out of spending time with the blond?

"I have to be Balamb Garden's representative at the WCU meeting," Squall briefly explained.

He moved past Zell and began to head for the door. Zell ran ahead of him and stood in his way, his arms outspread. The Commander rolled his eyes and waited for Zell to clear the path.

"But it's your Dincht Day," Zell pleaded.

"No, it's yours. There's a huge stack of mail over there, I'd like you to chuck out any junk mail and hand the rest to Theresa. Shouldn't take you long, just don't get any paper cuts." Squall swiftly passed the blond and managed to get out of his office before the he could be stopped.

"Squall, c'mon, that's not fair. The whole point of Dincht Day is that you get to spend it _with_ me."

"As I told you before, I already get the honour of seeing you every day. Believe me, it's enough." Squall didn't wait around to head into the elevator.

Zell followed him down to the ground floor, pestering him to reconsider, and even asking if he could tag along to where Squall was going. But the Commander's ears were but brick walls and he continued to make his way towards Parking Lot without a hint of hesitation.

"Please! Take me with you; I'm sure you need a couple of SeeDs to accompany you to such an important gathering," Zell begged, hurrying to keep up with Squall's pace.

"I do, and they're right here; SeeD Lopez, SeeD Choudhury, and SeeD Foly." Squall gestured to man and a woman standing beside a SeeD Personal Carrier vehicle.

"Commander, Sir." The female saluted, before adding, "SeeD Foly was taken ill last night – burst spleen. Headmaster Cid said he would find a replacement."

"Oh! Me!" Zell raised his arm up in the air, and used his other hand to point franticly at his chest.

"Cid's already finding someone," Squall repeated.

"Oh, please, Squall! This is fate. It's Dincht Day and just as you're about to ditch me, one of your SeeDs is ill. That's gotta be divine intervention." Zell's eyes widened as he attempted to convince Squall, with little luck.

"It's not fate, it's a hindrance. Besides, you're not authorised to travel unless you have a signed medical note from Kadowaki. Which, by the way, I hear from her you haven't attended a check-up in a very long while."

Zell scratched the back of his neck. "It's on my to-do list, I haven't had the time. Besides, I've rarely been able to attend foreign missions."

"Well, unless you get one signed, you're not going anywhere with me," Squall retorted.

"Really? So, all I need is a signed medical certification from Kadowaki and you'll let me go?" Zell chirped.

"What? No!"

"Oh, thanks, Squall! You're the best!" Zell exclaimed as he ran back towards the foyer.

"Zell!" Squall yelled after the blond, but this time it was his cries that fell on deaf ears.

* * *

><p>Just as he had approached the bend into the First Floor foyer, Zell bumped straight into Cid. The older man stumbled back, colliding with the SeeD behind him.<p>

"Whoops! Sorry, Headmaster Cid!"

"Oh, Zell, where are you off to in a hurry?" Cid chuckled, nodding to the SeeD behind him to check if he was all right.

"Squall's chosen me to come on the mission with him, Headmaster. You won't be needed after all," he said the latter to the dispirited SeeD behind Cid.

"Oh, right. Well, Ferguson, maybe the next mission, then?" Cid patted the young SeeD and lightly pushed him in the opposite direction. The two men watched as he gingerly walked away.

"I just have to get a medical note from Dr. Kadowaki and then I'll be right back. Don't leave without me!" Zell cried, a serious finger pointed in Cid's direction.

Cid laughed and held his hands up. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, not if Squall's chosen you personally." The bumbling Headmaster continued to chuckle to himself as he made his way to the Parking Lot to debrief the others.

Zell ran to the Infirmary as fast as he could, only stopping in his tracks once he reached the Infirmary doors. Exactly what was he going to explain to Dr. Kadowaki? There was no way she would let him travel on a mission without being properly checked over. Even if he mentioned the time restriction, Dr. Kadowaki would refuse him permission and Squall would go on without him.

Zell peered through the door, spotting an assistant behind Dr. Kadowaki's desk. There didn't seem to be any other person in the Infirmary at the time.

Taking a deep breath, Zell entered with a wide smile and greeted the assistant sat behind the desk.

"Is the doctor around, by chance?" he asked.

"No, sorry. She's just popped out for a bit, but she should be back in ten minutes. You're welcome to wait."

"Oh, that's okay; I'm in a bit of a rush. Er, could I possibly have a . . . Band-Aid?" Zell asked.

The assistant nodded and twirled around behind her to an open stock cupboard. She reached up and pulled a Band-Aid from the box. She turned back and handed it to Zell.

"Thanks. Um, I also need –" Zell scanned the stock cupboard and noticed a box with only one large vial in it, "— that." He pointed to the vial and the assistant rose from her seat.

"For a stool sample?"

"Ah, yeah . . . I'm going to need a couple though, it's for a number of tests," Zell quickly clarified.

"Okay. Wait right here, I'll just get more from the stock room."

The assistant grabbed her keys and went into the next room. Once the door was fully closed, Zell whipped round the desk and began searching the pigeonhole message box. Once he found the Medical Certification for SeeD Missions, he grabbed a pen and began ticking away the necessary boxes he had time and time again seen Dr. Kadowaki complete.

The last thing he needed was a signature. Now this would be problematic. There was no way the assistant could sign it, it had to be the Doctor. And there was sure chance that she wouldn't just sign away considering she was hot on his tail about his missed appointments.

"I hope I don't fall into deep shit because of this." Zell took a deep breath and scribbled in a fairly accurate depiction of Dr. Kadowki's signature. "I'm a fraud."

The door behind him opened and Zell stuffed the paper under his shirt.

"What are you doing behind the desk?" the assistant asked, her eyebrow cocked in the air.

"Oh, I was just admiring Dr. Kadowaki's medical achievements."

"Well, can you please do that behind the desk? No unauthorised personnel behind here."

The assistant handed Zell the vials which he took graciously and thanked her many times.

Not wanting to cause any further suspicion, Zell casually walked through the Infirmary doors, but then raced back to the Foyer.

* * *

><p>"You're making me severely late," Squall scowled as Zell approached him, kitted out in his SeeD uniform.<p>

"Sorry, I had to get changed," Zell excused himself.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Zell asked in confusion.

"Your medical certificate? Did Kadowaki do the checks and sign it?" Squall demanded, his patience thinning every second he spent with the Martial Artist.

"Oh!" Zell sprang to action, taking the folded paper out of his pocket. "Yup, all signed. That's actually what also took me so long; I had to have the basic checks done."

Squall didn't respond, he merely scanned the sheet and kissed his teeth. Handing the paper to Cid, he walked to the waiting vehicle and got in. Zell sighed and followed Squall.

"Squall will debrief you, Zell." Cid announced, then closed the door and waved them off.

* * *

><p>It was already past noon once they landed in Deling City and arrived at the House of GMPs. Squall wasn't expected to contribute in the event verbally – a blessing for the stoic commander, who would have dismissed the mission altogether if such a role was required – he was merely a silent witness, an acknowledgement of Balamb's presence.<p>

Zell on the other hand, should have joined the other two SeeDs taking notes. Instead, his own mission was prioritised; he was Squall's companion and followed him wherever he went, much to Squall's annoyance.

"I'm just saying, Ultimecia and Time Compression aside; luck really isn't on your side. You were hired by General Caraway to defeat an evil sorceress – I'm talking about Ulti, not Edie – only to let his daughter inherit powers and be at Ulti's submission. Then to make matters worse, the country that fought against Galbadia captures his daughter, and yeah, sure, you went to reclaim her back, but only to then go and let her be held hostage by another evil sorceress."

Zell patted Squall on the back and shook his head.

"I'm telling you man, GC has every right to hate your guts. You did a lousy job of protecting his daughter."

Squall huffed and rolled his eyes. "My mission was not to protect his daughter; he asked me that as a favour and I did my best, considering Rinoa had a knack — argh!" Arriving at the elevator, Squall punched the button several times and bit his tongue. He wasn't going to allow the blond to lead him into a debate over something so trivial.

"Hey man, I'm team-Squall!" Zell held his hands up in defence. "But, you got to admit, GC was throwing daggers at you during that meeting, and I can totally see why."

Squall shook his head and repeatedly pushed the elevator buttons.

"Anyway, let bygones be bygones. Puns aside, we can't dwell in the past. You should just apologise to GC," Zell advised.

"I have nothing to apologise for, even Rinoa accepts full responsibility for her lack of caution."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that, and even if he did, he'll just think she's only taking the blame to protect you."

The elevator descended to their floor, a ping sound echoed through the corridor before the doors began opening.

"Better to apologise for lack of protection during a mission, than apologising for something like getting Rinoa pregnant."

"Excuse me?"

The SeeDs stood frozen, staring into the faces of General Caraway, and a couple of other Galbadian ministers. Zell bit his lip to prevent a curse word from escaping, and Squall struggled to find a thought, let alone a voice.

"Ah," Squall mumbled, and for what seemed like half a lifetime he raced to find composure. "H-h-he was just kidding. R-Rinoa's not pregnant." Squall shook his hands in front of the wide-eyed General.

General Caraway stepped out of the lift and stood in front of the two SeeDs, blocking them from getting into the elevator. He placed both hands on his hips and stared straight at Squall.

The Commander nudged Zell with his elbow, indicating for him to come to his aid and clear up the misunderstanding.

"Oh! Ah, yeah. Sorry, General Caraway. I was just joking; Rinoa's not pregnant. Well, at least I don't think she is."

Squall's eyes darted to the Martial Artist and he stared at him in disbelief.

"I just mean, I'm sure neither of them are virgins; they have been cohabiting for a very long time," Zell clarified as Squall looked at him in horror.

"Zell!"

General Caraway stiffened as he glanced around his aides in apparent discomfort.

"What? It's true. I can't lie to the guy, and I know you're no Irvine, but I don't believe you're the type of guy to be able to sleep next to Rinoa all night without —"

"Zell, shut up!" Squall swiped his hand in the air as if to cut the SeeD off. Zell cowered as if he was about to be hit.

"Gentlemen, I'll meet you in the lounge." General Caraway dismissed his aides and, once they were somewhat clear of earshot, turned his attention to Squall and Zell. "Commander Leonhart, it's no secret that my daughter is staying at Balamb Garden, and I am very aware she has some form of an intimate relationship with you – though I cannot fathom why. Then again, I never did understand her abnormal habits.

"My daughter and I do not see eye to eye all the time, but I assure you she has the highest level of respect for me when we're around people. If you and your SeeD friend would do the same, I can continue ignoring her mistakes, keep praying that the effects of sorcery wear off, and that she regains complete sanity. That way, perhaps she can return to Deling City and carry on with her normal life."

Squall nodded slowly. Zell copied his movements, though he was still in the course of processing General Caraway's insults.

With a curt nod, General Caraway waltzed down the corridor with his head held high. Squall groaned and mashed the button to the elevator, hurrying to get away from the scene and as far away from Zell as possible.

Unfortunately, Zell followed him into the elevator and began giggling.

"Shut up." Squall gritted his teeth.

"C'mon, you have to admit you have some bad luck."

"I don't have bad luck, Zell, I'm just surrounded by idiots," the Commander spat back.

Zell continued to chuckle to himself. "I can just imagine Rinoa getting a call from her dad demanding to know if she's pregnant. Dude, if you're there by that time, please record it."

Squall ignored the blond's attempt at rubbing salt into the wound. Once the elevator doors opened, Squall rushed out of the cell as quickly as possible.

"I'm sure Rinoa will find humour in it, she actually has a sense of humour. And anyway, it's not like I said you gave her a STD or anything."

Squall groaned again and shook his head. He quickened his pace and rounded the next corner only to bump straight into a large, tall figure.

"Trust me, getting Rinoa pregnant is a much happier scenario in comparison," Zell concluded as he caught up to Squall.

". . ."

"Ow." Squall rubbed his forehead and looked up to the figure in front of him. Ward stood towering over him, a shocked, yet pleased, expression written all over him. He turned to someone behind him and mentioned something in sign language.

"Are you sure?" came the reply.

Squall peered behind Ward's body and spotted Kiros right behind him.

"Squall!" Laguna's voice cried next to the aide. Squall internally groaned.

"Squall," Kiros nodded. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations? For what?" Laguna demanded, not aware of the exchange between Ward and Kiros.

"Rinoa's pregnant," Kiros replied.

"What!" Laguna cried louder. "Oh! Congratulations, Squall." The President hurried over to the Commander and began vigorously shaking his hand.

Squall arched his head back to glare at Zell. The Martial Artist scratched the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulder, a thin, apologetic smile displayed for compensation.

* * *

><p>Done with the events of the day, Squall and his SeeDs returned to Balamb Garden a couple of hours before midnight.<p>

Once Squall and Zell had clarified to the Estharian President and his aides that Zell was merely joking, leaving a visibly disappointed Laguna, the team grabbed a late lunch and then headed back to the station to depart for Balamb.

During their travel back, Zell shared their antics with the other two members of their team, who found the same humour in the situation as he did, though their giggles were muffled in comparison to Zell's cackles.

As though that wasn't a sore enough blister, Zell then recollected other mishaps between Squall and the gang during their mission against Ultimecia, until Squall decided to physically shut him up with a threat.

The silence didn't last too long, for the hyperactive Martial Artist who then began to swat flies and kick thin air for the remainder of the flight.

Walking back to their dorms, Zell opted to break his silence.

"Squall, you know I'm sorry, man. I know I say and do a lot of dumb stuff, but if you think about it, there's at least something funny that comes out of a bad situation. And, anyway, it's something to tell the kids – when you and Rinoa decide to have some," he quickly added.

Squall ignored him and carried on walking.

"In all honesty, I really do hope you enjoyed today. It wasn't like any of our other missions, but it was the first time in a long while we did something together, just the two of us. I kinda miss that."

"I don't," Squall easily let slip.

Zell laughed in response. "I know you don't mean that." He tugged at Squall's jacket and made the Commander face him. "Deep down, you know each of us brings something to your life, like you do to ours. Rinoa brings you peace and comfort, a positive outlook on your future where you're no longer alone. You bring my life order and insight, and I'm grateful to you for that. I've really learnt a lot from you over the past few years."

Squall frowned at Zell's sudden change in tone. He wasn't joking by the sound of it, his voice was calm and serious, and his eyes had a genuine glint to them.

"I hope that I'm not just a hindrance to you, someone who creates mistakes and misunderstandings that you have to fix. I hope in years to come, again, when you and Rinoa are ready to have kids —" he grinned and Squall rolled his eyes, "— you describe me as a friend who brought light and laughter where there was once darkness and silence, and that provided comic relief to every bad and boring event in your life."

Zell patted Squall on the arm and gave him another smile.

"Anyway, I'll catch you around."

He turned and walked towards the single dorms. The Commander stood for a few seconds, replaying Zell's words in his head. Somehow he felt as if he wanted to say something back to the Martial Artist; confirming Zell's words, waving away the day's misunderstanding, anything, but he wasn't sure. He felt like words were stuck in his throat, but he couldn't figure out what he wanted to say.

He couldn't think of anything in the slightest means positive, or worth saying, and watched as Zell disappeared behind the single dorm corridor.

The Martial Artist was correct in his observations; Zell did bring humour to any stale situation. Without Zell, Squall's life wouldn't be as exciting or adventurous. Every person that was a part of his life contributed in making it what it was. He, likewise, contributed to others in ways unknown to him. For Zell, Squall apparently brought order. That was definitely something Zell was in need of, just as Squall was in need of humour.

He allowed a little smile to grace his face, one which Rinoa noticed as soon as he walked into their shared accommodation.

"What are you so happy about? Thought you were at the WCU meeting?"

"I was," Squall answered. "Zell accompanied me, kept me from falling asleep during the boredom."

"That's nice, Zell's always handy when you wanna lift your mood," Rinoa commented.

Squall placed his keys by the door and manoeuvred through Angelo's many toys that were littered over the floor. He sat down next to Rinoa, noticing a fresh vase of flowers, a box of chocolate truffles, and a large, cuddly bunny on the coffee table.

"I didn't know you had an admirer; who are these from?" He gestured to the objects, picking up a chocolate truffle and biting into it.

"Oh, that. Yeah, really weird actually, turned up at our door with a card saying, 'Congratulations on the news of your expectancy, love Cid and Edea.'" Rinoa's eyes widened with humour. "I called Edea to find out whether she had sent it to me as a mistake, but she said my Dad told Cid I was pregnant."

Rinoa paused, waiting for Squall's features to resemble her own confused expression, but instead the Commander burst into a fit of laughter, spitting out pieces of chocolate – scaring, and disgusting, Rinoa in the process.

His chuckles echoed through the room and, pretty soon, he even had tears in his eyes.

"Squall, are you all right?" Rinoa shifted in her seat and tried to look at her hysterical boyfriend, who currently was busy wiping his eyes away.

"Whooo!" Squall let out a high-pitched breath, still giggling at the thought. "I'm good, I'm good."

"Okay . . . Are you sure?" Rinoa peered at him cautiously.

"Yeah, I am. And you know what? When you are pregnant, way, way, _way_ into the future, I'll tell you all about the time Zell got us pregnant." With that, the Commander snorted through another bout of laughter, getting off the couch and heading to the bathroom.

"_What_? Squall!" Rinoa called after him.

Sadly for the sorceress, Squall was Squall and he was adamant on showering and heading to bed. He wasn't up for sharing the story with her now, he physically couldn't as every time he attempted to his words descended into chuckles. Eventually, Rinoa grew tired and retired to bed, confused, but pleased, at Squall's sudden state of behaviour.


End file.
